Top S. African biz delegation due here

A top South African business delegation will arrive in Colombo next week. "We warmly welcome the strong business delegation led by South Africa's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ms Hlengiwe Mkhize to Sri Lanka. I have no doubt that this visit will help further strengthen the current trade levels of $ 65m," said a spokesman for the Industry and Commerce Ministry. The delegation consists of 30 leading members of the Progressive Business Forum of African National Congress (ANC-PBF), the ruling ANC's influential business collective.

The delegation will be in Sri Lanka from September 5-8. The PBF consists of many business leaders from top South African industry and business sectors such as mining, agriculture, tourism, logistics, automotives, minerals and diamonds, chemicals, finance and outsourcing. PBF is one of the first stops of any international business delegation visiting South Africa.

A spokesman for the Department of Commerce said South Africa has become the most important trading partner for Sri Lanka in the Southern African region.

In 2011, bilateral trade between both countries topped $ 65.49m. The balance of trade between Sri Lanka and South Africa is reported in favour of South Africa except in 2007 and 2010.

Last July, a top Sri Lankan business delegation visited South Africa as part of a joint initiative of the Sri Lanka High Commission in Pretoria and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to take part at the SAITEX 2012 International Trade fair in Midrand which featured a special Sri Lankan pavilion.

Among the delegation were nine companies from various sectors which included porcelain tableware, Ceylon black tea, green tea, organic tea, spices, desiccated coconut, rubber-based value added products such as rubber tyres, floor covering, electrical cables, electrical switches and sockets, enclosures, automobile component such as airbag sensor switches and seat-belt sensor switches.

During SAITEX the Sri Lankan High Commission in Pretoria also arranged B2B meetings at the High Commission in Pretoria and Johannesburg.